Video shows night former state Sen. Ralph Shortey was caught in motel with underage boy

Video shows night former state Sen. Ralph Shortey was caught in motel with underage boy

Former state lawmaker pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking last week

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Updated: 10:16 PM CST Dec 4, 2017

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WEBVTT ABIGAIL: PAUL, JESEARLIER THIS EVENING, MOORPOLICE RELEASED THIS BODY CAMVIDEO.IN IT, YOU CAN SEE AND HEARPOLICE ASK THE NOW-DISGRACEDFORMER LAWMAKER WHY HE'S IN AMOTEL ROOM WITH AN UNDERAGE BO>> BECAUSE YOU HAVE A JUVENILEIN YOUR HOTEL ROOM.ABIGAIL: MARCH 9, 2017, MOOREPOLICE AT THE MOTEL ROOM DOOR OFFORMER STATE SENATOR RALPHSHORTEY.>> COME OUT BEFORE YOU GET MEWORRIED.SHOW ME YOUR HANDS>> I'M SORRY, GUYS.YOU'RE KINDA FREAKING ME OUT ALITTLE BIT.>> YEAH, THAT'S WHAT WE DO.HE'S 17.>> ABIGAIL: SHORTEY TELLS THEOFFICERS THAT HE WAS JUSTHELPING THE TEEN AS A MENTOR.>> JUST HANGING OUT TALKINGABOUT LIFE.HE COULDN'T GRADUATE HIGH SCHOOLAND TRYING TO HELP HIM GET HISLIFE ON TRACABIGAIL HE ALSO ADMITS DRUGS: WERE IN THE MOTEL ROOM.>> GETTING HIGH WITH A YOUNGKID, WHATEVER IS A BAD IDEA.ABIGAIL: BUT JUST WEEKS BEFORETHIS BODY CAM VIDEO, RALPHSHORTEY TOLD ME THIS ABOUT DOINGDRUGS.>> YOU SHOULD NOT BE DOING THEINVERT OF MINOR CHILDREN.ABIGAIL: SHORTEY ADMITS TODRIVING THE TEEN TO THE MOTELAND CHATTING WITH HIM UNDER AFAKE NAME.>> YEAH, YOU CAN SHUT THE DOOR.YOU'RE GOOWE ARE DONE.ABIGAIL: SHORTEY WAS NOT TAKENINTO CUSTODY THAT NIGHT, BUT THEMOTEL INCIDENT LED TO A LENGTHYINVESTIGATION, AND ULTIMATELY,HE PLEADED GUILTY TO CHILD SEX

Video shows night former state Sen. Ralph Shortey was caught in motel with underage boy

Former state lawmaker pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking last week

Police have released body-camera footage of the March night when officers found former state Sen. Ralph Shortey in a motel room with an underage boy.

Before police entered Shortey’s room at the Super 8 along Interstate 35 near Northeast 12th Street, they announced that they were there after receiving a report that the now-disgraced former lawmaker had a juvenile in his room.

Shortey told the officers that he was just helping the teenager as a mentor.

Shortey: "Just hanging out, talking about life. He couldn’t graduate high school, and (I’m) trying to help him get his life on track.”

The former state senator then admitted that drugs were in the motel room.

Officer: “Getting high with a young kid, whatever, is a bad idea.”

Shortey told officers that the juvenile brought marijuana to the motel. A few weeks before he was caught in the motel room, Shortey was on KOCO 5 saying that adults should not do drugs in front of minor children.

He admitted to driving the teenager to the motel and chatting with him using a fake name.

Officer: “Yeah, you can shut the door. You’re good. We’re done.”

Shortey was not taken into custody that March night, but the motel incident led to a lengthy investigation. He pleaded guilty to child sex trafficking last week.